Available Technologies

Ultra-High Efficiency Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

Case ID:
TEC2010-0072

Web Published:
11/17/2014

Introduction

With a recent focus on renewable energy, wind turbines have become a popular method for harvesting unused energy and providing clean energy to customers. There are two types of wind turbines that are commonly used: horizontal axis wind turbines and vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT). These terms describe the axis around which the blade disk rotates. VAWTs are favorable because they are not space intensive and require less stabilizing infrastructure due to their relatively smaller height. However, horizontal turbines are traditionally more efficient than those with vertical axes. This is due to the fact that horizontal turbines face the wind, while VAWTs do not. In addition to lower efficiency, VAWTs experience lower wind speeds because they cannot be installed as high above the ground. Lastly, VAWTs exhibit more blade stress than horizontal turbines requiring stronger and more rugged materials.

Description of Technology

This technology is a vertical wind turbine that combines the accessibility and serviceability advantages of current VAWT designs with the higher efficiencies of a horizontal turbine. This VAWT replaces the current fixed blade design with individually adjustable blades that alter the blade angle to provide maximal power output based upon wind direction.

Key Benefits

Adjustable Blade: The blade of this turbine is not fixed so that it can be adjusted based upon the wind angle to take advantage of maximum wind speed

Increased Power Output: By capturing the maximal wind speed, the power output of the turbine will increase significantly

High Efficiency: The efficiency of this turbine is higher than other VAWTs and is comparable to horizontal axis turbines